Kansas City Ballet Announces Company Dancer Promotions And New Members

Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director Devon Carney has announced the promotion of four current dancers and appointment of six new dancers to the professional Company.

Carney said: “Kansas City Ballet is devoted to developing dancers within our organization and creating a seamless pathway for these artists, through our esteemed faculty, to build a career in dance here in Kansas City. We are thrilled to announce not only the addition of several new Company members but a growing number of promotions. This season's promotions and new members reflect not only the accomplishments of the individual dancers but of the level of support, interest, and commitment from the community, and Kansas City's honored status in the world of ballet.” 

New Company Promotions

Performing artists Olivia Jacobus and Elliott Rogers, formerly 2023-2024 KCB Company Apprentices, have promoted the Kansas City Ballet Company.

New Company Apprentices 

Gillian Yoder has been promoted to Company Apprentice from KCB II. Joseph Boswell and Keaton Linzau join KCB as Company Apprentices. 

Second Company (KCB II and Trainees make up the Second Company)

KCB II

Mei McArtor has been promoted from Trainee to KCB II. Audrey Lynn, Brooke Noska, Ben Workman and Owen Watson join KCB II as new members. 

Trainees

Alessia Braggiato, Jack Hindocha-Daniels, Hiroaki Ikeda, Gracie Jean Joiner, Corabelle Kennedy, Blair Mendes, Ena Nomoto, Miles Orvetti, Brendan Turner, Zoey Uhlman, and James Wray will join as new members of the Trainee Program. 

New Company Promotions

 

Olivia Jacobus

 

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Olivia Jacobus discovered her love for ballet at age 9, training with Romy and Zippora Karz of New York City Ballet, and continues to work with them today, professionally. At age 15, Ms. Jacobus was accepted into Colburn Dance Academy's pre-professional program in downtown Los Angeles where she performed works from George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, including Valse Fantasie, The Four Temperaments, Sleeping Beauty, Who Cares?, and Antique Epigraphs. In 2020, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet's Professional Division where she spent two years performing works such as Swan Lake, Beauty and the Beast, Divertimento No. 15, and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, alongside the company.

Ms. Jacobus is elated to return to Kansas City Ballet as a Company Artist for a third season, ready to work and grow with the company. Some of her favorite moments from previous KCB seasons are Emeralds Pas de Trios from Jewels, the classical challenges of Devon Carney's Giselle, and Tea in Devon Carney's The Nutcracker.

Elliott Rogers

Elliott Rogers is a native of Chicago where he began dancing at the age of 2 at Chicago Ballet Arts and then later with the Ruth Page Center for the Arts under the leadership of Victor Alexander and Dolores Long. At 14, Elliott was accepted into Houston Ballet Academy's Professional Division. During his 4 years in the Professional Division, he received the Ben Stevenson Scholarship Fund to push his training further. After progressing through the academy, he was promoted to Houston Ballet's Second Company, HBII, under the direction of Claudio Muñoz and Kelly Myernick for the next 2 seasons, expanding his repertoire, adding over 70 different roles in 50 works, including leading roles in Stanton Welch's The Gentlemen, Bruiser, Brigade, Clear, and others. He also performed with Houston Ballet in productions of Welch's The Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, and Sylvia. In 2023, he was selected to represent HBII in Assemblée Internationale, hosted by National Ballet School of Canada.

In 2023, Elliott joined Kansas City Ballet as an apprentice. During his apprenticeship, he received the opportunity to perform the title role in Devon Carney's Peter Pan. Elliott is eager to continue his professional career with Kansas City Ballet.

New Company Apprentices

Company Apprentices perform with the company under the tutelage of the artistic leadership as part of their initial professional experience.

Gillian Yoder

Gillian Yoder was born in San Diego, California, and raised in Jupiter, Florida. She began her dance training at Paris Ballet and Dance, where she studied for six years. Over the next six years, Ms. Yoder completed her pre-professional training at Next Generation Ballet, under the direction of Philip Neal, and at The Colburn School, under the direction of Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette. In addition, she spent five summers studying at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. In 2021, Ms. Yoder entered Kansas City Ballet as a trainee and was promoted to KCB II the following year. During her time in the Second Company, she performed in various corps de ballet roles, including George Balanchine's Serenade, Lila York's Celts, Devon Carney's The Nutcracker and Giselle, Alexander Ekman's Cacti, Val Caniparoli's Jekyll & Hyde, Devon Carney's Peter Pan, and George Balanchine's Jewels. After three years with the Second Company, Ms. Yoder is thrilled to be joining the Company this season.

Joseph Boswell

Joseph Boswell was born in Spokane, Washington. He started his ballet training at 7. After five years of training, he moved to Houston, Texas where he trained at the Houston Ballet Academy. After training at HBA, he moved to Boston, where he continued his dance training at Boston Ballet School for another three years before being offered a contract for Boston Ballet's Second Company. He performed numerous principal roles such as Franz from Coppelia, Conrad from Le Corsaire, La Vivandiere, the Harlequinade pas de deux, and Jorma Elo's Slice to Sharp. Joseph also danced with the Boston main company in ballets such as Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker as well as Rudolph Nureyev's Don Quixote.

Keaton Linzau

Keaton Linzau is from Washington, D.C. and began his ballet training in 2012 at Maryland Youth Ballet. He joined Houston Ballet Academy in 2021 and joined Houston Ballet II in 2023 where he performed corps de ballet roles with Houston Ballet as well as principal roles with the Academy in excerpts from Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, and Lucien d'Hervilly in Stanton Welch's Paquita. He also performed contemporary principal roles in Stanton Welch's Clear, Bruiser, Play, and many more. During his time in Houston Ballet II, Keaton established the first Student Council for a ballet academy in North America. Keaton will begin his professional career joining Kansas City Ballet as an apprentice.

KCB II

The Second Company of Kansas City Ballet is Kansas City Ballet School's emerging professionals' program, giving talented young dancers a professional company experience. These dancers receive professional experience performing corps de ballet roles in Kansas City Ballet full-length productions.

The KCB II program is committed to arts education, community engagement, and the development of aspiring young artists, preparing them for professional dance careers. KCB II provides a platform for emerging performers and choreographers to hone their technical skills and showcase their artistic talent. KCB II performs throughout the region through public performances, lecture demonstrations, residencies, and workshops, providing the community an experience of live dance in public settings.

Dancers in KCB II act as ambassadors for Kansas City Ballet. 

Promoted KCB II Dancer

 

Mei McArtor

 

Mei McArtor grew up in Columbia, South Carolina where she began her training at Southeastern School of Ballet at the age of four. She then joined Kansas City Ballet as a Trainee for the 2023-2024 season. During her time as a Trainee, she performed numerous roles in Val Caniparoli's Jekyll & Hyde, Devon Carney's The Nutcracker and Peter Pan, and George Balanchine's Jewels. She also performed in Gabriel Lorena's Under My Skin and Emily Mistretta's This version of you looking at you you looking back in Kansas City Ballet's New Moves 2024. Ms. McArtor has been promoted from Trainee to KCB II and now enters her second season at Kansas City Ballet.

New KCB II Dancers

 

Audrey Lynn

 

Audrey Lynn was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and began her ballet training at the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville. She spent summers training at American Ballet Theatre, Kaatsban Ballet Intensive, the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Harid Conservatory. After attending Youth America Grand Prix finals in 2019 she moved to New York City to attend American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School under the direction of Cynthia Harvey. Ms. Lynn spent 4 years at the JKO School, under the direction of Stella Abrera in her final year. During this time, Ms. Lynn performed Corps de Ballet roles in American Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker in 2022, as Swanhilda in the JKO School's spring performance of Coppelia, and with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in their 2022 Joyce Theatre Gala collaboration with the JKO School. Ms. Lynn became a member of ABT Studio Company in September 2023 under the direction of Sascha Radetsky. Throughout the season she performed again with ABT's Corps in The Nutcracker, toured performing in Diana and Acteon Pas De Deux, Sleeping Beauty Rose Adagio, Flower Girl in Don Quixote, and Twyla Tharp's Brief Fling Excerpt. She also performed numerous original works by choreographers such as Amy Hall Garner, James Whiteside, Jamar Roberts, and Houston Thomas. Ms. Lynn is excited to join KCB II for the 2024-2025 season.

Brooke Noska

Brooke Noska grew up in Medina, Ohio where she began her formal ballet training at Hudson Conservatory of Ballet. In 2019 she competed at the YAGP Finals in New York City and was selected to be in the Final Round for Senior Women. After placing top 12 at finals and receiving many scholarship offers to professional schools, Brooke joined Houston Ballet Academy’s professional training division on scholarship. She trained with Houston Ballet Academy for 3 years under the guidance of Claudio Muñoz, Cheryne Busch, and Susan Bryant. While in the academy, Brooke performed in featured roles such as Stanton Welch’s Brigade, Play, and Chopiniana. She also performed with the company in Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker and Jubilee of Dance. Brooke attended Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s graduate program for one year, where she danced corps de ballet roles with the company such as Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast and Terrence Orr’s The Nutcracker. She also performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and as Russian Girl in Serenade, set by Zippora Karz. Brooke is excited to join KCB II for the 2024-2025 season.

Owen Watson

Owen Watson was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and began his ballet journey at the age of 13 with the School of Ballet Arizona. During his time there, Owen performed in several company productions. Following his formative years at The School of Ballet Arizona, Owen further expanded his technical repertoire at Master Ballet Academy, where he was trained in traditional Vaganova technique. Owen then attended the Houston Ballet Academy, where he spent two years in the professional program. At Houston Ballet Academy, he performed in a variety of works by Stanton Welch such as Bruiser, A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet. Additionally, he took part in the academy’s spring performance of Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, further developing his technique and artistry. He is looking forward to being a part of Kansas City Ballet as a KCB II dancer for the 24-25 season.

Ben Workman

Ben Workman began dancing at age 6 at a local studio in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 11 he started training at the Louisville Ballet School under the direction of Robert Curran. While there, he performed with the Louisville Ballet Youth Ensemble and also took part in many company productions. When he was 16, he furthered his training at the Houston Ballet Academy, learning from teachers such as Claudio Muñoz and Orlando Molina. Throughout his training, he had the opportunity to learn and perform many works by Stanton Welch such as Paquita, Bruiser, and others. Ben is very excited to join KCB II this season!

New Trainee Dancers

The Trainee Program, which is a tuition-based program of Kansas City Ballet School, aims to nurture and develop young, post-secondary dancers’ technical skills and artistry, ultimately preparing them for a professional dance career by bridging the gap between the School and KCB II. In addition to their dance studies, trainees participate in company classes, have the opportunity to be considered for performances with Kansas City Ballet Company during the season, and perform in tandem with KCB II in educational and community performances throughout the year. 

Alessia Braggiato, Jack Hindocha-Daniels, Hiroaki Ikeda, Gracie Jean Joiner, Corabelle Kennedy, Blair Mendes, Ena Nomoto, Miles Orvetti, Brendan Turner, Zoey Uhlman, and James Wray will join the Trainee Program. 

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